The Lost Elves

Disaster / Destruction

As the Spirit Tree begins to die as a result of the inundation of Void energy, the Elves work in vain to try and save their way of life, and the very core of their existence.

As the Blight hit, the elves of Shah immediately felt the shift in the natural energies that once coursed through their lands. The forests and groves of their Empire began to die out rapidly, the life that called it home falling in droves to the poison in the air and water as starvation claimed both the flora and fauna of Gaul Do Shah. The elves, under the direction of Queen Sharvisal, did all they could to create barriers and pockets of safe space in an attempt to preserve the lives of the creatures under their care, but in their panic, noticed too late that the Spirit Tree that houses their eternal life force was withering quickly as well. Sharvisal set her people to work, intent on moving the Tree away from the energy that was draining it's life, but with each passing day, the elves themselves were wasting away internally, a foul reflection of the Tree's dwindling health. Infighting began to break out and one by one the workers started falling away due to injury, death, or wandering off as their minds began to slip away. The Queen, a being of long life and vast experience, mirrored only by her substantial power, held fast and, using her magical abilities, forced her people into some sense of order long enough to continue working. Sadly, her own mind began to lose its tenuous grasp on reality. In an act of desperation, she called upon their long time allies, the Halflings to aid her in her darkest hour, a call the small folk heeded without hesitation. With their combined effort, they were able to move the tree into the caverns below Gaul Do Shah, and out of the direct influence of the Void energy. Many lives were lost in the efforts as the creatures of the Blight began to assault the workers and rushed efforts began to cause more and more haphazard injuries. It was during this time that Sharvisal's mental state began to fully fail her, and in her ensuing madness, she came to believe that the blood of those slain close to the Tree was actually sustaining it, adding to the power of the Tree's ability to hold and transfer the essence of her people in to eternal and constantly reincarnated life. It was at this time it is believed that she devised the devastating plans that came next and led to one of the most tragic atrocities in the history of Cairne.